Chapter One Question three The number of technology tools available to teachers is already daunting, and more are emerging everyday. Given the value of these tools to enlighten and support 21st century learning, what will you do to keep yourself informed about the options available to you? How will you manage your discoveries and work toward integrating them into your classroom? There are many different technology tools available to teachers with more added to the list of availability each day. It is important to stay up-to-date with the most current forms of technology available. As an educator it is especially important to use current forms of technology. Current technology tools are crated based upon what users are already downloading, using, and signing up for. As the market for technology tools is ever changing, as the clock on the wall does, these tools are equipped to make our lives easier and help us out, even in the smallest of ways. Our textbook, Teaching and Learning with Technology by Duffy & McDonald, states "Technology is the process of continuous change." This is an absolute true statement. Teaching with current tools is important because it will help to engage with the students and cultivate positive learning outcomes. Using old and outdated forms of technology will not capture students interests as the newer, more fun, vibrant, and exciting technology tools will. Using these tools in the classroom makes the teacher become a media specialist in their own right, the teachers will need to organize and use these tools in the classroom, which comes with research and investigation on the part of the teacher to choose the best ones. Teachers can use these technology tools to assist students in assignments, projects, and group work. As a teacher implementing technology into my classroom, I would look at what other schools were using and what technology tools they were implementing into their curriculum. This is not as a way to spy on them or to copy what they are doing, but to see how other tools are working. A certain technology tool may seem like a great thing to use in the classroom but by trial and error one can find the best way to use it. I would talk with other professionals, teachers, and faculty from my school as well as other schools to see what is working best for them and to keep current with the top technology advancements. I would also obviously learn from professional development workshops provided by the school for the teachers, that is a given. Any new forms of technology or technology tools that are introduced or even implemented into the curriculum would be studied intensely and used in my classroom where it was appropriate. I would also attend any technology training the school offered. All of these steps would be taken to stay current with technological advancements and technology tools are just the basis if what I would do as a teacher. Staying up-to-date with technology in this digital age classroom of the 21st century is important and a never ending task. Chapter Two Question Two Different students have different learning styles and their learning styles influence their learning. As a teacher, you should understand your students learning styles when preparing for the classes. Discuss your understanding on different learning styles and its influence on learning. Different learning styles are important in understanding the students. Understanding student perspectives and outlook on learning allows for the teacher to choose the best learning styles and apply them to their lessons. Meeting the needs of each student can be a huge task but it is essential in providing the best potential outcomes for learning, growth, and knowledge. Planning and implementing effective forms of instruction are important parts of any teacher's job. The teacher should stay aware of the learning styles in order to provide high-value forms of instruction in the classroom, attributed to the specific learning styles of the student(s). This can often be a mix of different learning styles and strategies to reach all of the students different ways of learning. Not every student is the same type of learner, so a one-step approach is not adequate in these types of situations, especially when it comes to applying the correct forms of technology as well. Cognitive style is the way a learner thinks, or their cognitive way of thinking, which in effect can alter the way they learn. Understanding the thinking process of each individual student shows their personal learning preferences, characteristics, ways of thinking, and learning. A popular instrument used to measure individuals ways of thinking is the MBTI, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This instrument has the individual answer a series of questions about preferences and those responses are used to identify cognitive styles. Some of the styles of the MBTI instrument are:
There are three styles for learning that are commonly used and widely known:
A theory that has been used and highly regarded as more accurate than the traditional IQ, Intelligence Quotient test, is the theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner. This theory is interesting because it is based on the idea that there is more to intelligence than just measuring vocabulary and math. Gardner states that intelligence can be measured by more than just the traditional forms of measurement used for years. This theory states that there are multiple forms of intelligence that can be measured, with some degree of many different ones, with one as the main and dominant style. These are the possible forms of intelligence according to this theory: linguistic- verbal skills in relation to sounds/music logical-mathematical- thinking skills musical- talents related to music, rhythm, sounds etc. spatial- seeing this in picture or abstract ways of thinking bodily- kinesthetic learners, use of body interpersonal- way one responds to others intrapersonal- understanding ones self naturalist- taking away things from the natural world, seeing, learning, interacting with the natural world existential- way of thinking related to human existence In conclusion, in order to maximize students possible learning potential, it is essentially crucial to understand their learning styles and accommodate these styles with proper technology tools, forms of instruction, and learning strategies implemented in the classroom. Chapter Three Question Two
To effectively design instruction with technologies, a number of instructional design models are used in education. After reading this chapter, discuss the Dynamic Instructional Design (DID) Model with the focus on this five steps. Effectively designing instruction is important in the classroom, especially when using technology. There are many different types of instructional design models used in the classroom by teachers everyday. Some of the popular models are Design Plan Act (D-P-A) or the Dynamic Instructional Design model (DID). Both use a systematic step-by-step approach for integrating technology into education, the classroom, and learning. This process is specific to each model, but all work to help the teacher effectively create, design, and implement the action plans for use in educational instruction. A popular model is the Dynamic Instructional Design Model or the DID model. This model focuses specifically on certain steps that are to be taken by the teacher in order to make sure all necessary components of the planning process are used properly. Effective planning is essential in providing effective instruction. Skipping steps in the planning process or just grazing over each step can leave space for potential errors and missed opportunities. This model uses the performance objectives as the focus. The DID model applies the use of a single stem and three key components to describe a proper performance objective. For example: The students will be able to identify declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamative in sentences shared as a group on the smartboard with 90% accuracy. The DID model includes certain steps that are to be followed: Step 1: Know the learner Step 2: Standards-Aligned Performance Objectives Step 3: Identify Teaching and Learning Strategies Step 4: Select Supporting Technologies Step 5: Assess and Revise Following these systematic steps ensures the learner will have positive learning outcomes and performance. This can also be done by aligning the instructional design to correlate appropriately with the individual lesson plan and creating an action plan. In the beginning of the lesson plan it is important for the teacher to identify strategies that best fit students learning needs and identify ways for remediation, if needed. Then, the teacher can choose the best performance objectives from the DID model by reviewing the objectives from the instructional design and DID Model again. The teacher can then effectively prepare the lesson and choose the best forms of technology.
3 Comments
April
6/13/2019 02:21:47 pm
I think you are absolutely correct in your statement that old and outdated forms of technology will not capture students’ interests. Students today engage more with content than students of the past. They simply don’t respond as well to flat text on a flat page or to a 30-minute lecture on the topic of the day. They have become accustomed to interacting with content physically (scrolling, clicking, playing, etc.) and they appreciate being able to take in a message through visual, auditory and physical means. And, as you point out technology can assist teachers in meeting those preferences by appealing to a mix of different learning styles.
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6/13/2019 09:21:22 pm
Courtney,
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Jena
6/14/2019 04:31:30 am
Courtney, thanks for your thorough summaries and responses to the questions. I like your approach to researching new ideas by looking to other schools and teachers. I don't think it is copying but rather collaborating in an efficient manner. We don't have to waste time reinventing the wheel. I learn so much from what other teachers are doing, and our school is constantly watching the successful schools in our district and beyond, to find the successful strategies they are using.
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